Large public communication carriers (hereinafter, “telcos”) typically mount telecommunication distribution boxes in publicly accessible locations to facilitate providing services to consumers. The boxes contain a plurality of small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver modules to increase the performance capabilities of the box.
The transceiver module is a compact, hot-pluggable transceiver used for both telecommunication and data communications applications. The SFP transceiver module interfaces a network device mother board (e.g., a switch, router, media converter or similar device) to a fiber optic or copper networking cable. SFP transceiver modules are designed to support SONET, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards. The SFP module was designed after the GBIC (gigabit interface converter) interface, and allows greater port density (e.g., a greater number of transceivers per cm along the edge of a mother board) than the GBIC, which is why a SFP is also known as a mini-GBIC.
The SFP transceiver modules are typically inserted into a metal cage that is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). An exposed board edge near a first end of the SFP inserts into a mating connector attached to the PCB. A latch on the SFP locks into an opening in the metal cage to hold the assembly together. A data cable can then be connected to a second end of the SFP.
A problem associated with the publicly mounted telecommunication distribution boxes is the removal or theft of the SFP transceiver modules, which are expensive. Additionally, the removal of the SFP transceiver modules can result in the interruption of service to consumers. Accordingly, a need exists for a security mechanism to prevent the theft or removal of SFP transceiver modules by unauthorized persons.